Explore the Appealing Attractions of Singapore with Singapore Tour Packages
With what words shall I describe Singapore, the most enigmatic cities in the world? Is it appealing, mind-blowing, fascinating, charming, exotic or gorgeous or more beautiful beyond these adjectives words. Surely when you go for a Singapore tour, you will surely find this vibrant city more beautiful, whose beauty is beyond visual and verbal description.
Singapore has lot many tempting attractions among which some of them are the signature attractions of Singapore Tours. Due to its awesome charm and fascinating beauty, this beautiful tours and travel destination is visited by tourists from all the nook and corner of the world. Truly it will be an everlasting experience holidaying in Singapore considered to be traveler's paradise.
Some of the Prime attraction of Singapore Jurong Bird Park Home to the 8000 birds with 6000 species from around the world, Jurong Bird Park is one the largest bird sanctuary in Southeast Asia. It is the perfect place where you can see varied species of birds in one place that are found all the corner of the world.
Merlion Merlion is Singapore national icon designed by Fraser Brunner It's a imaginary statue having a head of a lion and a body of fish which is the mascot of Singapore Tourism Board. Its unique design never fails to lure tourists coming for tours and travels in Singapore. There are good numbers of Merlion statue, but five of them are only recognized by the STB.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve This beautiful natural is also the prime attraction of this island nation. Once upon a time here tigers rule but now you can easily get the company of monkeys, pangolin and varied species of colorful birds. Here tourists can enjoy the view of the rainforests and scenic beauty of the surrounding answering the melodious call of the birds.
Singapore Botanical Gardens Visit to this fascinating garden and you will surely get awe-struck with its enchanting beauty and plants. The 150 years old gardens is the must visit attraction in Singapore, where tourists can have loads of fun, see several Bonsoi Trees, orchids, bamboo, heritage trees at the same time enjoy taking picture in the favored pose with families, friends and beloved. Beside these there are several other fascinating attractions in Singapore which are must visit on your Kerala tour packages. Beside all these tourist can enjoy visiting to Singapore Science Centre, underwater world, Singapore art museum, National Museum, etc. All these attractions are amazingly beautiful and they never fell to grab the heart of tourists.
Well this island destination is also considered to the Paradise for Shoppers as the bustling markets and towering malls provide amazing environment for shopping. Beside these night life, mouth watering cuisines, world class accommodation facilities and the heavenly climatic conditions makes tourist to visit this beautiful travel and tours destination of Singapore Bintan Tour Packages Asia all the year round. Truly holidaying in Singapore is a lifetime experience which you will love to relish with the memories for lifetime.
If you're living with chronic knee or hip pain at night, or are seeking hip or knee pain relief, then you've probably already visited a doctor. Depending on your condition he may have recommended hip replacement surgery, knee replacement surgery or hip resurfacing surgery. And, depending on your current insurance program you've likely seen how expensive those surgeries can be.
There is an alternative option to paying the high U.S. cost of these procedures – medical or health tourism in New Zealand. Of course you can elect not to have knee or hip replacement surgery at all, but managing the pain and what it does to your quality of life may make this choice unfeasible. Health tourism can reduce surgery costs significantly, but pricing considerations aside, there are certain risks – seen or not – that you need to consider before choosing your health tourism destination, including:
‘Superbugs' and other infectious diseases
The number of vaccinations required for travel to certain health tourism destinations
The travel time needed to get to certain health tourism destinations
Risk of terrorism and other violence
The quality of technology used at the medical facilities at certain health tourism destinations
The quality of the food and water at certain health tourism destinations
People interested in health tourism as an option need to consider the larger picture, beyond the procedure itself; from the beginning of your travel for hip or knee pain relief, to the facilities and personalized care, to the recovery period before your travel home. It needs to be stress and problem free so you can get back to enjoying your quality of life faster. That's why New Zealand is a fantastic option!
Recently, according to the 2010 Global Peace Index, New Zealand was rated as the world's most peaceful country. It was rated very low or at low risk in the following areas:
Level of violent crime
Number of homicides
Level of organized conflict
Potential for terrorism
Political instability
Hostility toward foreign travelers
New Zealand has extremely low rates of the infectious diseases MRSA, Hepatitis A, VRE, Tuberculosis, and HIV. Most other, popular destinations for health tourism require or strongly urge vaccinations for typhoid, malaria, rabies, hepatitis A, and Japanese encephalitis. Traveling to New Zealand requires no vaccinations!
In New Zealand, the food is safe and the water is clean. Food safety standards are strictly regulated by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and Food Standards Australia & New Zealand.
In New Zealand, the medical facilities are clean and state-of-the-art, all using the latest technologies. The doctors and medical staff are all highly-trained – many in fact are trained in the U.S. English is the primary language in New Zealand, a factor that is so important when discussing a major medical treatment such as knee or hip replacement surgery.
New Zealand is also easier to get to than many other health tourism destinations. Direct flights from Los Angeles will have you in Auckland in just about 12 hours.
New Zealand is on the cusp of becoming a major destination for health tourism. Knee replacement surgery, hip replacement surgery, and hip resurfacing surgery can be performed at up to 50% less than the cost of the same procedure in the U.S. You don't have to live with chronic pain anymore.
About the Author
Agency owner passionate about healthcare. Learn more about New Zealand as a health tourism destination and your orthopedic surgery options before making your final decision. You owe it to yourself!
Destination-Management.TV presents the 1835 hotel in Cannes
South Asia Cruises - a fun and easy way to explore
South Asia cruise takes you on a journey of enchanted landscapes! There are many port cities along the cruise route, which will give you an opportunity to explore different places. Countries in South Asia including India, Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal etc, have plenty of things to offer to visitors. There are a number of cruise companies that operate cruise across this route. So, if you want to go for a South Asia cruise, you are sure to find a suitable package.
There are many things for you to see, visit and enjoy while on a cruise to South Asia. Some of them are - exotic Buddhist monasteries and modern skyscrapers; glitzy shopping malls and local markets; famous beaches and secluded islands; rugged terrains and deserts; colonial structures and virgin lands. You will get an opportunity to see all this and much more, while cruising through the waters of South Asia. The places that you must not miss visiting on this trip are the magnificent beaches of Kerala and the tranquil beaches of Sri Lanka.
There are many options for you to choose South Asia cruise package. You will have to spend some time to find out a package, which suits your requirements perfectly. Research the packages offered by various companies and find out what all facilities are covered there. If you are looking to pamper your senses and indulge yourself a bit, opt for a luxury south Asia cruise package. Apart from the regular facilities, you can enjoy some of the luxurious features during your trip. On the other hand, you can also find a discount cruise, if you are not willing to spend too much money on this.
Packing you things properly to travel on a cruise is very important. You must take care of small details to ensure that the trip is a hassle free one, especially if you are traveling with your family consisting of children. Carry some board games on-board; if they get bored the kids can spend their time playing these games. Also make sure that they take part in any on-board activity, which is specially arranged for kids so that they do not feel left out. For all you cruise lovers out there – a South Asia cruise is a must for you. So, plan for a trip soon and have fun on the trip.
About the Author
Know more about South Asia Cruises are the best way to discover the mosaic of culture that South Asia is.
1 Visit Railay Railay is only 15 minutes away. There is no pier at either end of the journey so expect to get at least your feet, probably your knees and possibly your bottom wet. Whatever you do, don’t come to Ao Nang and not go and see Railay.
2 Beaches Ao Nang Beach: for a battery-charging day, while away an afternoon at or near the tranquil Last Fisherman's beach restaurant, then catch the sunset there. The broad beach occupies a lovely setting, framed by the huge limestone rock-face at the southern end of the beach and by a skyscraper-sized rock tower 500 metres off-shore. Good swimming and kayaking, no noise or motor vehicles, 11 open-air massage shops.
Nopparat Thara Beach is a long and picturesque beach at the western tip of Ao Nang. During low tide you can follow the sand-crabs across a sandbar to some nearby craggy limestone islands. The very shallow water here makes it ideal for children, but not for skinny-dipping – it takes a long time to get back out of the water.
3 Island Hopping Ao Nang is a great base from which to go island-hopping in Phang Nga bay. The “Four-island Tour” visits Tup Island, Chicken Island, Poda Island and Phra Nang beach (which isn’t actually an island, as it’s part of the Railay peninsula). If you have time then island-hop via Koh Hong to Koh Yao Noi, then spend a couple of nights there. Ask the tour operator to include a beach barbeque.
4 Trek Hon Nah nature trail is an arduous trek to the top of the tallest karst (limestone hill/mountain) in the Ao Nang area. From the top there are panoramic views over Ao Nang, Krabi, Koh Hong Archipelago, Phang Nga bay and Railay. It is a steep two and a half hour trek to the top. Most trekkers will detour to the karst’s sole waterfall, which offers no more water than a budget hotel shower in the high season, but will eventually cool the trekker down. The jungle here is untouched, primeval rain-forest, with huge trees, flowers and exotic animals. This trek, which is not yet on the tourist map, is recommended for fit trekkers or for fairly unfit trekkers with a determined nature, but not for the very unfit. For a much easier trek, take the boat to Railay.
5 Fish Phuket offers Thailand’s only truly big game fishing which, whilst a memorable experience, is also an expensive one. For those who have only fairly deep pockets or who are travelling with their families, Ao Nang has become, since the arrival of monster fish at Gillhams Fish Park, Thailand’s best fishing destination.
Only 4km from the town is Ao Nang Fishing Park and Seafood Restaurant. The park is located in one of the region's most pristine areas, nestling between towering karsts in an oasis of silence. Whilst lacking Gillham's monster fish, there are lots of tasty snapper and grouper, which the chef will prepare it in any style you like. Bring along your non-angling partner for a blissful afternoon's peace in your own lakeside hut in an extremely relaxing setting.
Maybe the most pleasant sea-fishing trip in Thailand is a boat charter from Ao Nang into Phang Nga bay. Whilst you probably won’t catch anything really huge, this is an excellent way to tour the stunning marine scenery of the bay. Also a great day out for non-angling family members, who can snorkel away from the crowds. Ask for a sunset beach barbeque on a deserted island to be included in the price.
6 Rock Climbing Climbing on nearby Railay's world-famous crags can be arranged through Ao Nang agencies, who will arrange transfers and as much climbing as your limbs can handle.
7 Scuba diving Ao Nang’s ideal location puts it within easy range of the largest number of sites of any destination in Thailand. Sites visited daily include the local islands in Ao Nang bay, Phi Phi Marine National Park, King Cruiser Wreck and Shark Point Marine sanctuary. It's now also possible to take a one day speedboat safari to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, for the chance to see whale sharks and manta rays, or to do some spectacular cavern diving at the 5 islands of Ko Haa Yai. Speed boats are, however, not the most comfortable way to travel unless the sea is very calm, and there can be problems finding shade. Some of the more popular dive sites can become very crowded in the high season.
8 Kayaking
Railay Sunset Paddle. Paddle in the cool of the late afternoon around the towering cliffs that cut Railay off from Ao Nang. After a dip on the fabulous Phra Nang beach and with the sunset turning the sky into a blaze of colour, paddle to waiting tables on West Railay beach. After dinner, if you have enjoyed a little bit too much food and don't fancy any more exercise, take a longtail boat back to Ao Nang. It’s worth waiting a while longer for your food to go down, though, as the paddle back to Ao Nang is often memorable: on moonlit nights the green fire of bioluminescence blazes in the water at every paddle stroke.
The fabulous Northern Krabi coast kayak sites are all accessible from Ao Nang. Get there by paddle power or by your tour operator loading the kayaks onto a long-tail boat. Until quite recently, the coastline near Ao Nang was one of the best kept secrets in the kingdom. While Koh Hong and the western reaches of Phang Nga bay have for years been well-known, the eastern and almost as spectacular portion of the bay rarely saw a single soul. There are now two new hot spots on the paddling circuit, both easily accessible from Ao Nang: Ao Thalane and Bor Thor.
9 Night Life
There are two girly bars alleys in Ao Nang, but they are fairly well-hidden and thus inoffensive. Younger visitors will enjoy shaking their stuff at the Luna Beach Bar, which gets going around 1 am. The clientele at the Ibark night-club is mainly Thai – a great place for a dance: even the cheer-leader-like coyote girls seem to be enjoying themselves.
10 Shell Fossil Beach
Seven kilometres west of Ao Nang, this mildly trap-like tourist attraction consists of slates of compressed 40 million year old shellfish. These bear a passing resemblance to concrete, and are about as inspiring. The small museum is a bit grubby, but the line of gift shops are well worth checking out for the very affordable pearl products. Entry is 200 Baht for foreigners, but only 20 Baht for Thais. If paying ten times as much seems a bit step, maybe remember that you probably earn about ten times what the average Thai does.
Whilst in Thailand, why not visit one of Thailand's best three beach destinations
I've been thinking recently about how short life is and, on average, how much of it we spend working. I decided to do some calculations and see exactly how our time is used. If we consider that an average working week is 40 hours then that equates to 1,960 hours per year once annual holidays are deducted. That's 22.4% of our lives, not including any overtime that we may be required to complete.
I took it a step further because I was intrigued how many hours that we spend working in an average lifetime. This is where things really add up. Allowing for school and tertiary education, let's assume that the average person begins their working life at age 21 and retires at 65. That's a career that spans 44 years. If we use the same 40-hour working week we arrive at a figure of 91,250 hours!
That's a huge amount of time and accordingly it's a huge proportion of our lives that is consumed in this way. The average human life expectancy in developed countries is 78 years, which means that we sleep for about 205, 000 hours. All our other chores and tasks have to be done in the remaining time which means that there's often very little time left for relaxation and leisure.
I could go on quoting facts and figures but I'm sure you understand the point. It all begs the obvious questions: "are we happy with this?" and "does it really need to be this way?" Let's examine these one at a time…
The question of happiness comes down to a personal choice. Basically, it depends on whether you live to work or work to live. I'm firmly in the latter category but I know there are many people who love their employment and career. Some to a point of not really viewing it as work at all. I've heard intriguing stories about people winning the lottery and going right back to work the following day. I've heard of a millionaire who continues to live a simple life in a caravan park and work as a caretaker.
Everyone has different philosophies and contributes to the interesting diversity in our population. However, I believe that given a choice, we would rather use our time to pursue things that we have a passion for and enjoy doing. It's human nature to enjoy being in control of our lives and making our own decisions on how to spend time. Naturally, we would rather use our time to benefit ourselves rather than working to ultimately make someone else wealthy.
So, does it really need to be this way? Once we begin, are we locked into 91,250 hours of work? Are we destined to give the best years of our lives to someone else and be left with just a precious few at the end for ourselves? Why is it that some 'lucky' people are successful in business and have enough money to retire tomorrow? These are all very good questions and deserve an equally good answer.
The simple truth is that, once again, it comes down to the individual's choice. For most people and especially anyone who is able to read this, you have the option. Once that is realised then the dream can begin. Dream big but also take action. One of my favourite quotes is very simple: nothing ventured, nothing gained. For many people, this means stepping outside the area that we often enjoy residing in: the comfort zone. It means moving away from our familiar environment into unchartered territory. It involves taking a risk or two but it's a challenge that can be embraced and enjoyed.
For many, this challenge may be in the form of a bricks and mortar business. This is often a sound investment but there are also many people who seek out the plethora of opportunities that are offered on the internet. With such a wide range of programs, it's important that know which ones have genuine potential. Seek something that is good value and research the program's reputation from existing members who post articles and threads in online discussion forums.
This is the first and most important step to making a change in your life. A step towards not having to work the thousands of hours that sadly, most people actually will. This is about recognising an opportunity and seizing upon it. Personally, I place a lot of value in my own leisure time. I decided that my 9-5 job wasn't ever going to offer me as much as I wanted. There are so many exciting things I want to achieve in my life and I'd never be able to do if something didn't change.
I love the quote from the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu which reads "A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step". Although this is the popular form of the quote, an even more correct translation would actually be "Even the longest journey must begin where you stand". In other words, it doesn't matter your age or how long you have already been working because we can all begin a path to financial freedom from where we are.
We all now live in an era of wonderful opportunity. The internet is a tremendously powerful marketing tool if we just learn to harness its potential. I'm glad to say that's what I'm doing and I hope, through my marketing, I give others that same chance. Those that want to spend more time with their families and giving them the lifestyle that they deserve. Those who have dreams to pursue and those who simple want to reclaim their unbalanced lives.
Together, let's break the cycle that so often seems to be an endless rotation of work, eat and sleep. It's been said that in life the only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions. While there's an element of truth in the statement, it is more true to say that you can usually get out of a rut. It takes a little courage and faith that what you are doing is for the best. It takes vision to see up over the edge and view what is possible beyond.
If you need any more incentive or encouragement to take a first step simply think of where you'll be if you don't. Continuing to work a couple of thousand hours a year with no hope of having the balance in life that you'd ideally like. In a few years time you will probably rue your lack of action. On reflection, for most people the biggest regrets in life are usually things that they didn't do rather than what they did.
A total of 91,250 hours is an awful long time to spend working. For the majority, it can become a daily grind but imagine for a moment a different daily grind. One that simply makes your morning coffee that you can drink in your own time each day…followed by activities that you can plan and enjoy. Unless you win the weekend lottery, it will take some time but the dream is within reach. You just have to take that first step towards it.
laos flag="laos flag" Did the United State of America ever recruited 14 yrs old to fight under the US flag in the name of Democracy?
Spanish war
Civil War
WWI...
WWII
Vietnam War
Iraq war
Try Vietnam war.....Hmong hill tribes in Laos. There are even pictures to proof it! But the US should not trust these folks because they are not Russian and not White. I know it is hard for educated , Christian, moral Americans to understand that 14 years old were paid $2/month to die under the US flag so Cheney could stay home during the Vietnam war.
And a good thing they helped you secure your freedom to complain about everything. Assuming its true.
"Muay Thai, An ancient martial art style & a popular combat sport"
"Muay Thai, An ancient martial art style & a popular combat sport"
Muay thai (Muay- boxing, thai- thai people; meaning: Thai boxing), also called Pahuyuth , is a form of intermediate & close range hard Martial art, & the national sport of Thailand. It is one of the most popular martial art styles in the world. To an ordinary eye, it is somewhat like ‘concentrated' kickboxing, ‘concentrated' in the sense that elbow, knee strike & below waist kicks along with clinch are allowed here.
Muay thai, although a Thai martial art, is similar or often identical to many other art forms practiced in several south-east Asian countries : Burmese bare knuckle boxing/ Lethwei in Myanmar; Pradal Serey in Combodia; Lao boxing in Laos & Tomoi in Malaysia. This may be partly explained by the below historical event. At around, 200 B.C., Han Dynasty of China invaded and seized the kingdoms of Ai-lao (the name given by Chinese to them). This led to gradual migration of many Ai-lao from west-central Asia to south-east Asia, dividing into three branches in the process: the Shans settled in Burma, the Ahom went east into Vietnam, the Loa-Tai in the present day Laos.
At the end of 19thcentury, the first Thai states were forming into Laos & Siam, & with the capturing of two of Khmers cities (Khmers, the strongest & richest empire in Asia at around 6thcentury, originally from India.) in 1238, Muang thai – land of the free, an embryo nation, was created which ultimately becomes Thailand. From its very birth, it was at constant threat, & at warfare against the Burmese to the west, & the Khmers to the south-east. To deal with it, during the period of Prince Uthong of Ayudhhya (aprox.1350-1750, considered Golden Age of Thailand), a training manual called ‘the Chupasart' was prepared by distilling the vast combat knowledge of the great warriors of the nation, giving rise to a combat battle field art.
Around 1854, called the Ayuddhaya period, under the King Naresuan (also called as the Black Prince), the 1st great upsurge interest in Muay thai occurred. He modified Siamese boxing to supplement & conform to weapon use. He created duets fighting drills, organized boxing competitions & large scale combat exercises, while teaching the war science to his people. One of the duets was for Krabi (the sabre, a long sword with curved tip & oversized hilt made up of teakwood/water buffalo horn) & Krabong (the spear/staff), almost similar to Manipuri Thang-Ta, from which, the name Krabi-Krabong came for the mother art. Because too many soldiers were either injured grievously or killed while training & fighting with weapons, an unarmed art (Muay Boran/Muay Chao Chur), almost equally effective, was created. As it was to be used in battle fields, where there were always multiple attackers, originally they did little use of grappling or submission holds, but instead focused more on crushing kicks, punches or bone shattering elbows & knees, aiming to take down opponents with just one or two shots/blows.
Soon it became the national passion around 17thCentury under the King Pra Chao Sua/the Tiger King. He loved the art so much that he often wandered Siam in disguise, fought in village contests, challenging all the comers & remaining undefeated for 7 years. Many of his personal fighting techniques became the basis of modern Muay thai.
Another famous Muay Boran warrior was a commoner named Nai Khanom Tom. In 1767, he along with some 29,999 Thais were rounded up by the invading Burmese & took to Ungwa, Burma. After remaining imprison for 7 years (some sources say 1 year), he was selected to represent Thais prisoners of war in a boxing contest as a part of a grand festival organized by the Burmese King Mangra, at a Buddhist temple in Rangoon, where a holy relic of Buddha was enshrined. He did Wai Kru to respect the King & the Burmese people, & incredibly defeated 10 Burmese Lethwei champions in succession without any rest. The King was so impressed that he granted him & his fellow Thai prisoners freedom along with two beautiful Burmese wives. Even today, his feat is celebrated as ‘National Muay thai Day' on March 17 every year, where young Thai boxers perform Wai khru ram muay & Wai khru prajam pee.
After the Burmese aggressors were expelled out in late 1767, the series of kings of the free Thailand spared no effort in promoting the art. The Thai boxing became the favorite sport & past time of the people, the army, & the Kings. Around 1920s, during the reign of the King Rama the 7 , the name ‘Muay Thai' was given to this popular sport, referring the older form of the style as Muay Boran.
Muay thai has lost none of its appeal in Thailand. It is loved & enjoyed by people of all sections. The T.V. fight broadcasts rate among the Kingdom's most popular programmes. Even in the most remote village, people cluster around local fights or available T.V. to watch – all the four Thai T.V. stations broadcasts free Muay thai fights four night a week. The glory could also be found at Stadiums like Rajdamnern & Lumpinee (Stadium establishment began during the reign of the King Rama, the 7, before 2nd world war).The two main centers for the Muay thai study are the capital city Bangkok & the northern capital Chiang Mai. Thai military cadet schools also teach a modified Muay thai called Lerd Rit (meaning extreme power), an unarmed combat art used in conjunction with Krabi-Krabong, & incorporates breaking boards, glass bottles with elbows etc.
Contribution of Buddhist monks in the history of Muay thai is huge. Since 14th century, the Buddhist monks in the world famous ‘Buddhai Swan temple' (much like the Chinese ‘Shaolin temple' with similar ancient tradition) have been teaching martial art as a philosophy & as a way of life. The Buddhist monks have been keeping the practice of Muay thai for hundreds of years. Its popularity was spread to the common people by young men who have learnt the art from these monks, since each Thai man is urged to live as a monk at least once in his life.
Muay thai is considered as one of the world most deadliest & brutal combat sports by some. As in other martial art styles, it was originally meant for the battle field – with survival as the only rule. Upto 1920s, it was a part of school curriculum in Thailand, but was withdrawn as the injury rate was too high. In olden days, combatants wore horse hide thongs wrapped around the fists & forearms to slash the opponent's skin. Such thongs were soon replaced by hump rope, wound around the fists & wrists, then layered over the glue soaked cloth strips that hardened into stone gauntlets. Some fighters even used ground glass or pebbles mixed with the glue. There were no weight categories – larger fighters fought smaller ones & the bout went on until a fighter could not stand, with the loser horribly maimed or even killed, or the fight continued as long as a holed coconut shell placed in a water tube immersed completely into it. There were apparently no rules in the ring. After one such death in a ring, the King Rama the 7 codified rules for the Muay thai & were put into place around 1920s. But the matches were still brutal & violent, with head butting, kicks/knee to groin etc, perfectly legal moves. This carnage continued until the late 1930s, when the Thai government intervened & forced to adopt international boxing rules, weight divisions, padded gloves etc, & prohibiting many illegal moves like groin attacks etc.
Thai people have a great respect for the art & its teachers (Kun kru). Thai boxers do this through the ancient tradition of Wai khru/Bucha kru/Ram muay/Wai khru ram muay (Wai: action to show respect/pray/apologize with folded hands in front of the chest, like 'Namaste' in India; Khru: teacher; Ram: traditional Thai style dance; Muay: boxing), a pre-fight ceremonial dance to show respect & gratitude to the Kun kru in submission to his teaching & training, to summon up good, powerful spirits & scare away bad spirits from their corners. The fighter seeks God blessing for himself & for his opponent, & for an honorable fight or victory. Among enchanting traditional Thai music, the fighter, wearing Mongkon on head (said to possess the spiritual power of the Kun kru & all the fighters in their camp) & Krung Rangs on biceps (for extra protection & good luck), does Ram muay, demonstrating control, style & his prowess to the audience, some times taunting or scaring each other by stomping around his opponents etc (but no blow is allowed in anger). This ritual has been developed in different ways, in different regions, under different teachers, so usually no two fighters perform identical Wai khru (preventing fighters trained by the same Kun kru from fighting each other). A Muay thai expert, just by watching the Ram muay, can easily tell about the trainer & the region the fighter belongs, or whether he may lose or dominate in the ring!
The Wai khru is a graceful & aesthetic ritual both spiritual & practical. Dancing & rehearsing ‘Kon Muay' (movements/styles of Muay thai) before a fight, warms up one's body, helping the body & the mind to be ready to get into the battle. It is the most effective aid to limbering up, & marshalling the fighter's concentration, serving to bring to remembrance everything that the fighter has been taught. In order to become a fully-fledged Muay thai fighter, a person must pass through a series of ceremonies of Wai khru:
(a) Kuen khru, teacher's acceptance of students & passing the combat knowledge.
(b) Wai khru prajam pee/Yohk kru, annual homage-praying ceremony to teachers or souls of the teachers long passed away, usually on 17 March or mostly on Thursday, which is believed to be the teachers' day.
(c) Wai khru ram muay, ritual dance of homage to teachers by the fighters.
(d) Khrob khru, initiation as a teacher ceremony, bestowing the rank of Khru muay to the fighter.
Muay thai fighters (nak muay: Muay thai practitoner) make use of any part of their body as a formidable weapon. Muay thai is ‘the art of eight limbs'(originally nine weapons, including head, collectively called ‘na-wa arwud', but now head butting is not allowed in modern Muay thai). The practitioner executes strikes using eight ‘points of contact' (hands, elbows, knees, shins) as opposed to four points, common in other martial art forms. There are about 108 traditional Muay thai techniques, & less then 30 comprise the ring repertoire of the champion Thai boxer. Generally the emphasis of kicks (teh) & knees (tee kao) over elbows (tee sok), punches (chok) is a ratio of 3:1. Muay thai is known specially for its powerful knee & elbow strikes, which account for majority of the knockouts (KO).
Muay thai uses many types of elbow strikes. When thrown from the guard position, elbows are relatively difficult to block. Generally, the hand of the relaxed arm delivering the elbow is kept open to maximize range to increase power, with simultaneous swivel of the feet, waist & hip. Down elbow causes maximum KO in the ring. Mostly elbows are used when the distance between fighters becomes too small & too little space to throw punch to the opponent. The hard bony elbow is also used to block punches, kicks, or elbows etc. Elbow is one of the strongest parts of human body, containing three bones – epicondyles of humerus, olecranon process of ulna & the head-neck of radius, & we all know that human bone is stronger than concrete of same quantity.
Muay thai is well known for its deadly knee techniques. When delivering the knee, the fighter generally pull the lower leg back, toes pointed down – warding off any low, round cut kicks to the rear supporting leg by the instep. The head is protected from the punches by leaning the upper body away at an angle of 45 degree. The clinch version of Kao tone or straight knee strike has been proven scientifically as the strongest leg blow in martial arts. A shuffling stance change is done after each knee strike so that every knee is delivered from the rear power position.
Kicks are important parts of Muay thai fighting. Out of many kicks used, teep (foot-thrust) & teh (angle kick) are the commonest. One of the dangerous Thai techniques is an angle (round house) kick to break the neck. The kicker pivot on the front foot to add power to his kicks & commit the entire body weight to one kick; i.e; Muay thai fighter uses the entire body movement, rotating the hip, & sometimes with counter rotation of the arms, to intensify the power. Same thing is seen in case of punch, block, knee or elbow etc.
The striking part is usually the lower part of tibia (one of the body strongest bones), not the foot or instep which are weaker & contain many fine bones. The shin (strongest yet most sensitive in an ordinary person) is also used to block kicks/knees etc – raising the knee to meet the elbow, creating a formidable defensive shield. Thai boxers usually don't block kicks head-on, instead time the kick & bypass the knee into the softer, inner portion of the thigh. Same is for the knee, elbow or punch, they just stay at long range & wear the opponent down with hard round kicks. In ring, Thai boxer tries to lessen the impact of opponent's strikes by sidestepping, parrying or turning away from them, unless the hardened shin or instep may break his arm!
Before late 1930s, Muay thai hand techniques were mainly swinging, chopping blows or ridged fingers, poking & gouging. Today, the art has become even more ring effective by the use of the boxing jab, straight right/cross, hook, uppercut, shovel & corkscrew punches plus overhand or bolo punches etc. Thai boxer seldom uses international boxing style at long range as it exposes too much of the body to kicks & knees. In extending the arm to punch, it is easier for the elbows to go under & over the arm to hit the head. Favoring too much punch may end up on the wrong end of an offensive clinch. So, when a Thai boxer punch, it is in tandem with elbows & knee strikes at close range.
The primary targets in Muay thai are the midsection, upper body & head; although low leg kicks are frequently used (to distract/distance/off balance the opponent, also are easier to execute, difficult to block, aiming at femoral nerve, leg, knee or thigh or popliteal fossa).
Another important technique is ‘the clinch', a stand up partial grappling, used to strike or bind the opponent for offensive or defensive purposes. Nak muay often uses knee & elbow techniques in clinch. In offensive clinch, the clincher twist & apply pressure on the opponent's neck as he knees, bringing the head down to where it can be hit with a knee. Such pincer's grip works as a chokehold – pressing into the carotid artery in the neck, hampering blood flow to the brain – further weakening & confusing the opponent. Along with the front clinch, they also use arm clinch, side clinch, low clinch & swan neck. Out of many techniques used to escape offensive clinch, one may stand as straight as possible, grabbing the opponent around the waist & pressing the body into him, thereby stopping his knee attack. His natural reaction will be pushing you off, giving enough room to throw your own elbow or knee. The clinch is duplicated in Thai pad drills. The holder crosses the pads at his abdomen to accept the ‘medicine ball training' of multiple knees, while resisting the hitter's downward pull, strengthening his neck against kicks & punches.
Head butts, hip & shoulder throws are prohibited. So are the wrestling, back or arm locks or any similar judo or wrestling holds. The Thai boxers arealso prohibited from bitting, eye gouging, spitting, finger breaking or deliberately striking the groin area.
Like in full contact Karate (kyukushin), Muay thai heavily focus on body conditioning. From early age, nak muays started conditioning their sensitive shin by repeatedly striking banana trees, Thai pads & heavy bags etc. They also use many techniques of ‘iron body training'. They train until they drop. They don't earn belts as a symbol of their progress or skills (as in many Japanese or Korean styles), instead have skills tested in the ring, they are concerned only with the championship belts.
They work hundreds of hard rounds to prepare for a five rounds bout. A professional boxer completes 5 to 7 miles of roadwork & a short shadowboxing session every morning. In the evening, he will hit training camp for heavy bag work & lighter freestyle sparring, moving constantly for 4 to 6 hrs, & resting only at 1 min intervals. Some work out for 4 or more straight hours as a marathon holder or hitter of Thai pads. Boxers rarely do hard contact sparring in training, as a Thai tradition forbids pitting fighters trained by the same kun khru in serious bout.
Due to the effectiveness & efficiency of Muay thai, it is becoming very popular among martial art community, gaining respect from other stylists. As it is the best & most effectively economical way to fight, It has been one of the basic components in MMA (Mixed Martial Art) training & competitions. It is also increasingly being used now in many action films, video games etc with very high success – which were earlier always dominated by Chinese kung fu/acrobatic Taekwondo Kicking styles etc. Recently, films like ‘Ong-Bak, the protector; Tom-Yum-Goong; Born to fight & Beautiful boxer etc' have vigorously popularized Muay thai, specially among youngsters.
As most professional Thai boxers come from the lower socio-economic backgrounds & fight for money (No fight No money), they mostly belong to lighter weight classes (70% - fly & bantam weight divisions), & train very hard. It not uncommon to see such fighters engaging in local Muay kaad chuak fights. In such match, in addition to the elbows, knees, punches, kicks & clinch currently used in Muay thai, head-butts & throws are also allowed. Instead of modern gloves, they wrap their hands with hemp rope, which provide little padding & cause frequent cuts & abrasions. The contests are often wild & bloody, with no point system, so the victory comes by surrender or KO. If both the participants are still standing at the end of the bout, the fight is declared a draw (These brutally simple rules have already been abandoned in 1923). Generally, such contests are held during the Thai Songkran festivals (beginning of the new solar year, on April 13, 14, 15 each year), honoring Nai Khnom Tom, the Thai soldier legend. They are usually paid $25/$26 for every match, which is considered worth the pain. Due to the rigorous fighting & training regimen, most nak muays have relatively short careers in the ring, & they shifted to teaching this deadly art.
Amateur Muay thai, on the other hand, are practiced mostly by higher economic strata Thais, under different international & national organizations. It is also most common (almost all) in India. Amateur Muay thai has grown into a very popular sport, specially over the last 20 years. Thai boxing is becoming more & more increasing popular outside of Thailand. It has its enthusiasts & practitioners all over the world. Most of the credit goes to International federation of Muay thai Amateur (IFMA). Since 1990, IFMA has organized many Prince's/King's Cup World championships. The competitions are growing bigger & tougher every year, inspiring everyone to train even harder for the next event. Another important contribution of IFMA was the introduction of female fights (Muay thai was traditionally a male sport) in 2000 (as a demonstration sport) & in 2002 where 20 countries were represented by females fighters.
Muay thai was a already a demonstration sport at the 1998 Asian Games. It is also on the panel of sports for the SEA Games, & was a full medal sport at the 2005 SEA Games in Manila. It has been included in 2005 Asian Indoor Games. Moves are afoot to include it into the World University Games as well as the Indoor Asian Games. With such fast developments, it may be not far away that we see Muay thai as an Olympic event.
Manipuri players, no doubt, have always been good at martial arts & combat sports, Muay thai is no exception. Many players have fetched good positions, representing Manipur on various national & global stages, bringing glory, fame & respect. This is possible due the selfless dedication, & persistent hard work of many martial artists, Muay thai enthusiasts & trainers. My blessing & support to all the young nak muays of Manipur.
Hence, Muay thai is an amazing & excellent martial art style with equally long & amazing history, effective both in self defense or in ring, growing at a very fast pace, & having tremendous opportunity to earn name & fame for both oneself & more importantly, for the mother country.
Compiled & written by:
Dr.HanjabamCha Barun
MBBS,DSM(sports medicine) std.,
NS NIS,Patiala,Punjab,India,
Martial artist & Thang Ta practitioner.
Chief Instructor & founder,C.G.Thang Ta Association,Raipur,C.G.,India.
Email: dr.barun.hanjabam@gmail.com
About the Author
Dr.HanjabamCha Barun,
MBBS,DSM(sports medicine)std.,
NS NIS, Patiala, Punjab, India,
Martial artist & Thang Ta practitioner,
Email: dr.barun.hanjabam@gmail.com
Free the Bears story on The 7pm Project - Mary Hutton, Matt Hunt, Rove McManus & Tasma Walton
laos info_2="laos info" looking for info about south east asia?
im planning a trip next year id say around feb or march...im going to leave dublin here and fly to jakarta indonesia travel up through malaysia thailand cambodia vietnam..well thats the plan..my question is do you think that would be a good trip for a 21 y.o lad or should i just stick with thailand cambodia vietnam maybe laos...ive been to thailand and laos already the best part by myself and found it easy to meet new people...but im thinking it wont be as easy in indonesia and malaysia...also if you have any advice about these countries like parties where to meet people,where to go,how to get around would be great...thanks
Actually Indonesia is really easy. Not thailand easy but only because fewer people speak English. It's a lot cheaper than Thailand, and very rural. Some of the islands, like Flores, Sumba, Sumbawa are so beautiful and rugged and dirt cheap you can stay for a pound a night. But the roads are rocky sometimes. That's what I liked about it though.
Indonesia reallty surpirsed me, I didn't want to go but I ended up having the best time and now have learnt the language, thats how much I love it. There are so many islands and every single one is really different to the next, that's the best bit, whereas Thailand can often seem the same norht to south. You have to go to the smaller islands like Sumba, Ceram, Flores if you can. It's got a lot of remote areas- you may not find internet cafes like you do in Thailand everywhere, but that's the charm. I love Indonesia and can't wait to go back. I wnet twice already The food is fantastic and really simple= lots and lots of fish, Fish every meal. And you can drink the local coffee, in Sumatra and Java, there is something magic about drinking coffe that is grown 20 metres away.
Malaysia is more well run, more modern that INdo and Thailand. They call it the Switzerland of south east asia, but for me, it's my home I love it. It is magical, in my opinion. Espeically in Borneo where the air feels differentl. You have to go to Borneo, its' really special..
Malaysia is magic for me- the rainforest is the oldest rainforest on the planet, and new speciaes are constatnly discovered. The people are Malay, Chinese, and Indian, so the food is fantastic. It's an indicovered countyur, because it's not really on the Lonely Planet trail so much ( thank god), but the people there are mysterious, magical, they have great culture and temples, and a really interesting history. For me, IO'd rather go to Malaysia and Indonesia over Thailand anytime. I like Thailand but always find the endless Lonely Planet trail and constant McDonalds culture a bit too much. I find Thailand a bit sold out, Due to tourism mostly, I think.
You can certainly go to the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree website. I dislike it, because the attitude of Lonely Planet guides is very patronising to the local people, whome they treat like ex-colonial slaves "them and us" mentality.
I think you'd have a BRILLIANT time- fly into Jakarta and , goas far east as you can, go to Komodo, Lombok and Sulawesi, then travel through Java and Sumatra ( it's so huge!!!), then up intpo Malaysia, from there you can fly form KL to Vietnam vbery cheap ( buy a ticket in Kulala Lumpur, I did this, very inexpensive), see a bit of Vietnam, Cambodia is right there. You know how it is. you get to one place and realise the next country is very near. Aim to go to Indo, then to Malaysia and vietnam, then see how you feel.
religion of laos="religion of laos" For those who say it's not possible for the FCC or government to overtake the Internet...?
did you know about or consider that this overtake of the Internet has been going on for a long time in restricted countries? How often do you talk to someone in China? And then if you do, they beg off or say, don't you know I am in China and then they quit talking. They cannot accept Bible verses on the Internet or any kind of truth / religion conversations. They get upset as soon as you send them a link to Biblegateway for instance. And what about other restricted countries? Do you talk to anyone in North Korea, or Laos, Vietnam, and many other places that are restricted? Let me know. Thanks.
Yes, you are correct or at least somewhat correct! Can the FCC or Government overtake the internet? NO, could they possibly shut it down or apply filters to filter certain content? YES!! As you stated, China is the worst or one of the worst for it! Everyone found that out when the Olympics were held there, but at the same time, there are ways around filters such as proxies like they used during the Olympics! They can set filters to block certain sites or certain key words or such, but when you go through a proxy, it looks like you are just going to that site and they can not filter where from that site you go...so there are ways around such filtering. Yes, once so many people use the same proxy, they will notice all the traffic to that site and then block it, but then new ones are created and so on and so on...so in reality, NO the FCC or Government can not overtake the internet without just shutting it down completely which will NEVER happen and most countries like the USA believe in freedom of speech, so they will NEVER try filtering like China or all hell would break loose! So you don't have to worry about that happening here any time soon!! As for China, They have been filtering their countries internet forever....That is nothing new!! But like I said, there are ways around those filters and their users know it, so if they want to visit something filtered, they will do so!!!
south east asia travel itinerary="south east asia travel itinerary"
Travel Like A Maharaja With Indian Maharaja
India was waiting for one more wonder like this. The Indian Maharaja, using the newly restored carriages of the Deccan Odyssey train takes the guests on a whirlwind circuit to some of the exotic destinations of India. The train is a joint venture of Ministry of Railway, Government of India and MTDC (Maharasthra Tourist Development Corporation).
Commencing from Mumbai and crossing a course that takes you to the historical caves of Ajanta and Ellora to the rendezvous with tigers at Ranthambore National Park to Pink City Jaipur to the ultimate symbol of love: the Taj Mahal and finally to the capital city Delhi.
The Indian Maharaja-one of the world's great trains in the fleet of Royal train of India is compared with some of the world's best luxury trains such as - Blue Train of South Africa, The Orient Express of Europe and the Eastern and Oriental of South East Asia. With 21 coaches of absolute luxury; it carries just 96 guests at a time from Delhi to Mumbai.
The Tour
The Indian Maharaja itinerary is simply breathtaking. The Indian Maharaja Tour covers places such as Mumbai, Daulatabad, Ajanta Ellora Caves, Udaipur, Ranthambore National Park, Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. There is also an option to take a journey the other way round, starting from Delhi and ending in Mumbai.
This kind of flexibility is good for the guests who find it difficult to travel to another destination to catch the train. If they are in Mumbai, they can take the train from there itself and they do not need to travel all the way to Delhi to catch the train.
The Coaches
The experience onboard Indian Maharaja is every travelers dream come true. The train has a total of 21 couches in the company of 11 passenger cars with 4 coupes apiece and also there presents 2 Presidential Suite Cars which contains 2 coupes for every car.
The interiors of the coaches are done meticulously. The train is equipped with modern amenities which includes Plasma TVs, internet access, well stocked bar, restaurants and a spa car.
About the Author
Author is an associate editor for India Rajasthan holiday packages . Get all possible information about Taj Mahal tour Packages ,and Rajasthan Vacations Destinations. We also provide information about online hotel reservation, Holiday Packages and Flights Booking in India.
Egypt - Pyramids and Sphynx - Travel - Jim Rogers World Adventure
south east asia travel itinerary south east asia travel itinerary south east asia travel itinerary
laos flags="laos flags" what is the major river in Laos that is also represented on its flag?
the mekong is the primary river in Lao. It is represented on the flag as a full moon (white) over the Mekong, (blue). but it is not an official designation.
Lao Freedom Flag 2009 - "Lowell City Hall " Dr.Khampa, Professor Khan & President of Lao AC
Growth is impressive … In the past nearly 10 years, tourism service and administration activities have been changed much. The results of tourism activities have reflected important growths and contributed to the cause of national industrialisation and modernisation, demonstrated by the increasing proportion of the industry in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Vietnam only served 2.33 million international arrivals in 2001, but the figure was 4.235 million arrivals in 2008, representing an annual growth of 8.91 per cent per annum. Domestic visitor arrivals reached 20.5 million in 2008, representing a growth 8.34 per cent per annum. Tourist product systems as well as infrastructure systems have been improved not only in quantity but also in quality in recent years as tourism has increased. With respect to accommodation facilities, in 2008, the country had 4,856 accommodation facilities with 123,050 rooms, including 296 facilities ranked from three stars to five stars. The room growth was 15.16 per cent per annum. The number of international and domestic travel companies continuously increased to serve growing number of tourists. By the end of June 2009, Vietnam had 764 licensed international travel companies, more than 10,000 domestic travel companies, and 6,000 international tour guides (at the end of 2008). Travel companies of Vietnam have caught up with the levels of foreign travel firms, and have increased cooperation and enlarged market shares. The most notable change is the soaring investment capital for the tourism industry by both domestic and international investors. Many world-class seaside resorts and ecological tourist sites have given a facelift to the Vietnamese tourism industry and made Vietnam a promising tourist centre of the region and the world. Incomes in foreign currencies increased from US$2.3 billion in 2005 to US$4 billion in 2008. Tourism not only has not only been good economically, but also has affected many social aspects of Vietnamn. At present, the tourism industry has 1,035,000 labourers, of which 285,000 people are direct workers and 750,000 people are indirect workers. As much as 42.5 per cent of tourism workers are certified and some 40.8 per cent of the tourism workforce can speak English, Chinese, French and other languages. Human resources training for the tourism industry have been improved. The country now has 40 universities with tourism training units, 43 tourism vocational high schools and hundreds of small-scaled tourism training centres.
… but unsustainable According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the development of the tourism industry was below the actual potential and the tourism industry has not proved its role as a spearhead for the economic sector. At present, Vietnam tourism is ranked fifth in Southeast Asia. Vietnam has a long coast with many famously beautiful beaches but the country fails to bring its potential into full play. The professionalism of the Vietnamese tourism service industry remains weak and it is apparent in all states from management, promotion, advertisement and marketing to the service workforce. Vietnam has not actually created trademarks. Thus, in the coming time, the tourism industry needs to continue advancing promotional activities in foreign countries. Additionally, the diversification and improvement of tourist products and services also needs more care. The linkage in developing tourism based on regional and territorial characteristics has proven its effectiveness and the tourism industry will pay more attention to this linkage to create interesting and characteristic tourism products and services to eliminate boredom of visitors. At present, Vietnam has many attractive places of interest which remain “hidden charms.” According to experts, Vietnam has rich potential to develop tourism. To exploit these advantages and create beautiful impressions on international friends, Vietnamese tourism industry needs a concrete strategy to ensure not only immediate economic effects but also ensure impressive and sustainable growth.
Le Vuong
Apply Vietnam visa online and Tours at: http://www.vietnamvisasupport.com Apply Vietnam Tours online at: http://travel.togo.vn
About the Author
Vietnam visa for us, that is Legal, Quick, and Economical. http://www.vietnamvisasupport.com was built for supporting you with updated information on Vietnam entry visa, suggesting you how to get visa to Vietnam easiest, fastest and reliable but cheapest way.
WORLD TOURISM DAY MESSAGE by Shao Qiwei Chairman of China National Tourism Administration
national tourism administration national tourism administration national tourism administration
“experiences From ‘the Flow’ (9): New Girlfriend, New Life.”
“Prosperity: The eternal flow of all that’s good in life…”
By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo, Copyright February 2008
(Author “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor,” Copyright August 2007. Pantejo - Y.N. Vurce Publishing.)
*Below is the ninth episode in a series of real life events experienced by the author. The only deviations from the truth may be the names of people and places. These stories are also incorporated in “My Friend Yu – the Prosperity Mentor: Book II,” Pantejo - Y.N. Vurce Publishing. Release Date: 2008.
I quickly found out that Nueng (Thai: “Number One”) was the ultimate “live-in everything.” She kept our place immaculate, prepared delicious, home-cooked Thai meals, and made sure that I had plenty of freshly laundered and ironed clothes to wear.
But after living together for a few months, I realized she was so much more…
- Saving Baht -
(February 2008) - Currently, one U.S. Dollar (USD) equals 33 Thai Baht.
…And Nueng knew how to stretch every baht we spent.
Coming from a large family and growing up in the poor, North East Region of Thailand, Nueng learned very early in life how to work hard, save money, and shop wisely.
In fact, we now live comfortably on a mere fraction of the money I used to give my ex-girlfriend just for living expenses.
Nueng has taught me how to properly buy things (meaning: haggle) at the local markets, finding bargains that most Farangs (Thai: foreigners) could never find on their own.
Many times, after I’ve chosen something I want at the Mall, Nueng will gently say, “Paeng maak [Thai: too expensive], tee rak [darling]. Chan bai dalat prueng nii [I will go to the local market tomorrow].”
And sure enough, the next day she hands me an identical (or better) item with a receipt showing that it cost us 30-50% less than the price at the Mall.
- No More Magic Acts -
Unlike my ex-girlfriend, Nueng is always there for me. I never have to guess where she is, who she’s with, or what she’s doing.
With the ex, I’d rush home after work – only to find the house empty.
She would often pull a “Disappearing Act” with her girlfriends for hours (or even days). I distinctly remember a nerve-racking, three day period when the ex disappeared. No notes. No SMS (text) messages, e-mails, or phone calls. I was worried sick!
But when she finally returned, I went from fret to furious! Her “reasons and explanations” were blatantly untrue. After repeatedly asking her to tell me the truth, she decided to just clam up.
And with that, we entered into another mutual silent period that lasted for about a week.
- Birds of a feather -
Her friends were as immature as she was.
While I was at work, I got a call from someone informing me that the ex and her friends were at a party and the police got involved, arresting the whole lot of them. The reason? Although the ex was above drinking age, others at the party were minors - and there was plenty of alcohol everywhere. Drugs were also suspected.
After many hours of stressful waiting, she was released. Fortunately, the results of her drug test were negative. That was one of the few times she ever apologized to me for anything.
Most of the time, she would just give me the silent treatment. It was always a guessing game with her. I never knew what was on her mind (or why she behaved so sweetly one minute; then so cold the next).
- Excuse to Leave, Excuses to Stay Away -
The ex was a Lao National and required to renew her visa every 27 days.
The trip to the Thai-Lao border and visa stamp can easily be accomplished in 3 days. But the ex always took at least 7-10 days (sometimes, up to 2 weeks) to do this “visa run.”
When I asked her why she took so many days to get her passport stamped, she would come up with some pretty lame excuses (e.g., “the weather was too bad to travel” – but checking the T.V. news and internet revealed no inclement weather in Laos; “I got sick” - then another friend tells me the ex called her from a karaoke bar; “I was visiting my sick mother, sister, father, friend, etc.” - then her sister or mother would call me asking about her whereabouts).
Of course, the only time she phoned or sent SMS messages while away was because she needed more “travel” money.
One time, I had to send her money because (supposedly) a Lao Taxi driver was holding her luggage hostage until she paid his high transportation fee. Feasible? Yes. Probable? No. The ex was both a Lao citizen AND an experienced “visa run” traveler, getting her visa renewed every month – with no hitches - for the last four years.
Nowadays, I rush home and am richly rewarded with sweet, genuine smiles, hugs, and kisses from Nueng.
- Friendship. What a concept! -
Here in Thailand, I used to think it was impossible to have a girlfriend who could also be a “real friend,” someone of the opposite sex that I could trust and just “pal around with.”
The ex-girlfriend was like all others that preceded her: incapable of having a true friendship with a man; and much too demanding, suspicious, and secretive.
But all that changed with Nueng.
Now I enjoy a relaxed, honest, and fun-loving companionship (the antithesis of all the unfulfilling relationships I’ve had during the last couple of years).
It doesn’t matter if it’s a quiet night at home or a night out on the town, we always have fun together.
And even though most of the humor between us consists of slapstick or “weird word definitions and pronunciation gymnastics,” the resulting laughter (and her smiles) makes everyday worthwhile.
Since Nueng is an ex-farm girl and not afraid to physically show her affection, any light-hearted teasing on my part often turns into rowdy, hilarious wrestling matches.
Like attracting magnets, we are naturally drawn to each other.
Whether it’s watching T.V. or reading separate books, we have some kind of constant, physical contact. It’s nice. It makes me feel loved AND liked.
It’s the closeness and affection I always wanted, but never got, from the ex.
- Communication -
Another huge contrast between Nueng and the ex-girlfriend is Nueng’s desire to learn my language (English) and her willingness to teach me hers (Thai).
Daily, we teach each other different words and phrases. Living with Nueng, I’ve learned more Thai words and phrases in the last three months than in the previous two years!
She is both an avid learner and patient teacher.
What a change! The ex would easily get flustered if I could not instantly understand her.
And of course, since she could not comprehend most of the things I said too, her frustration lead to “mental burn out,” and she would simply give up; tolerating a constant state of “mutual misunderstanding.”
Since relationships fail mainly because of two basic reasons: 1) Incompatibility and 2) Miscommunication, I’m convinced that half of our problems would have been prevented if she was willing to give learning my language (or teaching me hers) an honest try.
Oh well. It’s a moot point now. The ex is gone. Thank God, Nueng is here.
“It’s truly a ‘New Girlfriend, New (Better) Life’ in ‘The Flow’ for me now…”
…Continued in “Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (10): Falang or Thai? Some Polarized Views.”
Note: If you want to read more about overcoming heartbreak, unconditional love, exorcising past personal demons, and the Illusive Secret of Happiness, please read the following articles:
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’: From Heartbreak to Happiness”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (2): Coincidence or Synchronicity: FROM RELAPSE TO MIRACLES...”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (3): LOST AND FOUND - Kindred Spirits and Mistakes made in Haste.”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (4): LOST AND FOUND – Meant to Be?”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (5): “The Stray”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (6): “New Beginnings, Old Endings”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (7) - Living Well? Farangs and Finance: The Myth”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (8) Living Well? Farangs and Finance: The Reality, Stupidity, and Hard Knocks.”
“How Dare She! Out of Desperation I Learned How to Forgive”
“Remember Who You Are!”
“Need to Heal Your Broken Heart? Read on. Overcome Heartbreak and Learn the Illusive Secret of Happiness.”
(By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo and published internet-wide, keyword: [title of article] or “Carl Pantejo”)
Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com
About the Author
About the Author:
He is a retired U.S. Military veteran. Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an A.A., B.S., and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life – while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic. In spite of a fear of heights and deep water, he free-fall parachuted out of airplanes and performed diving ops in very deep, open ocean water. He went to Thailand 1 year ago for a week’s vacation, fell into a teaching job, and has never left!
Carl “J.C.” Pantejo Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com Founder, Y.N. Vurce Publishing http://www.ynvurcepublishing.com
When touring on a budget it's best to bear in mind the following factors:
Travel in the off-peak seasons. It can save you up to as much as fifty per cent off air flights and accommodation costs for those who plan to journey in off-season times.
Avoid common vacationer spots (except they are on your 'should-see' listing). In case you can go off the crushed track along with your locations, things will be cheaper to see and do and your cultural experiences will likely be richer.
Try camping. Not only is it the most affordable form of lodging it is a great way to rise up shut and personal to nature. It is the best way to see Nationwide Parks and Heritage listed areas.
Look for particular travel presents (or packages). But be sure you test every thing that they embrace - and don't include.
Put money into a journey pass where you might be able. Most developed countries have a rail or bus transport system the place you can get hold of day, week or monthly passes that can get you around cheaply.Get a piece permit if you purpose to gain employment whereas touring overseas. Working can assist subsidize locations that are not so low cost, akin to Europe and Australia.
Search for good exchange rates on the dollar. This will likely provide help to resolve which nation to journey to Think about shortening your go to to destinations that are costly and rising your length of keep in cheaper places.The place possible use your credit card. The change charge is better.
When staying in a lodge, avoid paying for 'extras'. Do not touch anything from the glory bar. Don't watch the in-home films and do not use the hotel phone. And take a look at to not use room service an excessive amount of!
On the world scene there are some great locations to travel on a funds for under thirty dollars a day. In Asia you can attempt India, Laos, China, Cambodia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Thailand, Sumatra and Burma. In Central and South America you possibly can visit El Salvador, Bolivia and Ecuador. If you are after a budget experience within the Pacific, strive Fiji or New Zealand. Over in Africa there are some nice funds locations reminiscent of Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Ghana. Don't forget the Middle East the place locations like Iran, Syria and Turkey present wonderful value for cash and wonderful experiences for the price range traveler.
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flag laos="flag laos" For those who traveled to the WTC towers pre-9/11?
For those who traveled to the WTC (World Trade Center) towers pre-9/11, I have a question.
In the South Tower lobby, hung all the flags of the world. I recently discovered some photos of these flags, but the photos only show L-Z (countries), and so does all the other pictures I found. My question is, where in the lobby were A-K (countries) located?
Here's a pic, for example: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=36917991&context=photostream&size=o Pic courtesy of Flickr, and is only being used as an example.
As you can see, it shows L (Laos or Latvia) through Z (Zimbabwe). There seems to be a wall (elevators?) at Laos or Latvia, so where is K-A? Thanks for any help. I'd like to find a picture of K-A.
The elevator column was in the center of the lobby and the flags continued around the walkway above the lobby. A to K would have been on the other side of the walkway from what you see in your photo. Sorry I cannot come up with a photo of that side of the lobby, maybe someone else has one. It was an impressive sight, all those flags in the lobby.
Lao Freedom Flag 2009 - "Lowell City Hall " Vice Mayor Rita Marcia 1 (LaoGN)
language of laos="language of laos" What language is best to learn out of these?
I was thinking to learn German or Danish. I know Danish Swedish and Norwegian are intelligible is German also intelligible with these 3? NOTE Not all people that speak one can understand the other. Like Thai and Laos Portuguese and Spanish etc. Hmm. I KNOW about Swedish Danish and Norwegian... German is not inteligable but there is a lot of common vocab okay. I have European dictionaries for all 4 and I can see the vocab is extreamly similar some words on paper seem to be the same. I learn languages easily so passion for one is not of importants. I speak spanish and am able to understand much Italian because of it.. If you speak Danish I'd like your kind logical opinion please thanks.
The Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish and Danish) are very alike. Danish differs from the other two in pronunciation and Swedish has more words that the other two don't have (Norwegian and Danish are very alike because the modern Norwegian is based on Danish), but other than that, they are extremely similar and people from the 3 countries understand each other very easily (though the Swedish and the Danish might have problems with each other). The three languages are more alike than anything else I can think of. The fact that they are in fact three different languages is just a historical thing. They could very easily be three different dialects of the same language. So if you learned Danish, you would find that pretty much all of Scandinavia was open to you.
Still I would suggest German. See, if you combine the native speakers of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, you would end up somewhere between 20 and 25 million. German has over 90 million. And there are also far more people who have German as a 2nd or 3rd language than the ones who have a Scandinavian one. And chances are that if you take Danish, it's gonna take a long time before you can understand people speaking it natively. And then another long time before you get Norwegian. And Swedish is on all the way on the other side of the Scandinavian language tree, and they contribute with a little under half of all Scandinavians.
As for the question of Scandinavians understand German and the other way around: I am Norwegian and I can understand about a third of the German words when I see it written. When I hear it spoken it'll probably go down to one 10th. They are related, yes, but still very different. With the amount of English words making it to Norway as slang, I'd guess a non-English speaking Scandinavian would understand more English than German. Maybe with the exception of the Danes who live all the way down south, at the German border.
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Bruce Lee stumped the world with his invention of a new age martial art JKD – Jeet Kune Do. His movie "Enter the Dragon" showcased JKD for the first time to the world and drew millions to embark on the martial arts journey.
JKD is a physical- martial and philosophical-spiritual art. The MARTIAL part includes various ranges – Kicking, Punching, Knee- Elbow striking & Grappling with ground fighting.
JKD is unlike Karate & Taekwondo where major emphasis is on kicking, Judo & Wrestling where major emphasis is on body grappling and Boxing which focuses on punches. In JKD emphasis is total on all ranges of fighting - Kicking, Punching, Trapping-Elbow & Knee, as well as grappling & Matwork. JKD deals with the techniques developed by Bruce Lee specifically for himself- Jun Fan JKD, made up from Fencing, Boxing & Wing Chun, which Bruce Lee adapted to form his specific Stance, specific Footwork & specific Strikes.
The PHILOSOPHICAL part is about Lao Tzu, Zen and JKDization of Life. LAO TZU is about balancing Ying & Yang – harder forces and softer forces of existence (Masculine- Feminine, Day-Night, Optimism- Pessimism, Aggression-Accommodation). ZEN is about translating thought into action without rumination or worry. JKDization of Life is problem solving by the 4 fold path – Researching the subject at hand, Absorbing the useful parts & rejecting useless parts of your analysis and finally tailor-making the conclusions to suit your problem.
Despite the colossal success of his films, Bruce Lee did not want to commercialize his art JKD. Hence JKD is not publicly available till date. All those who claim to commercialize JKD by opening schools, using Press & Media, holding tournaments and teaching numbers in batches are prostituting the name JKD without even scratching the surface of the iceberg. A JKD school is always kept low profile, trains only about 7 students at a time, and each is taught individually (tailormade to correct his mistakes & develop his individual attributes) without hoards trained in batches on common techniques.
After Bruce Lees death, since JKD was not available, the result was other martial arts which were available got popular all over the world. Bruce Lee certified few students in his lifetime in various martial arts he taught. Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustillo, Ted Wong, James Lee and Taky Kimura are some of his prominent students. Today Inosanto, Richard Bustillo and Ted Wong are the most sought out Teachers of JKD.
These so called ORIGINAL STUDENTS run seminars all over the world to introduce JKD to the participants. The participants are then awarded JKD SEMINAR ATTENDANCE certificates. These are not to be confused with JKD INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATIONS awarded to deserving by the Original students after a lifetime of specific JKD training under the Original students. The Instructor Certifications are APPRENTICE, ASSOCIATE & FULL INSTRUCTOR which takes decades of researching & training specifically in the Bruce Lee arts.
Those who have been certified by these above Bruce Lees Original Students (first generation) are called SECOND GENERATION INSTRUCTORS. Those who have been certified under second generation are called third generation Instructors. Upto third generation Instructors, one can safely assume that the art of JKD is least diluted.
After Bruce Lees death, Dan Inosanto & Richard Bustillo opened up the IMB Academy (Filipino Kali Academy) which was the first academy to teach JKD. Richard Bustillo had received student certification from Bruce Lee and later was the first student of Inosanto to be issued Senior JKD Instructor Certification, before partnering the first JKD Academy the IMB Academy. Ted Wong, Taky Kimura, Dan lee & others have trained this academy before branching off themselves. Richard Bustillo & Ted wong was instrumental in training Bruce Lees son Brandon Lee, daughter Shannon Lee & in helping raising the Bruce Lee foundation.
To the best of my information, The Bruce Lee foundation has YET NOT DEVELOPED the JKD training program, and is still to develop the JKD Schools all over the world in few years. There are many who locally register Bruce Lee foundation with the TM & Patent office in their country & claim to be the BL Foundation, without any connection to Bruce Lee. The false claims of being BL Affiliate schools can be easily verified by contacting the BL foundation & Ted wong for verification of authenticity of the so called BLF Schools in India (!). There is nothing like a BLF affiliated school anywhere in the world. http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/
Then there is the World JKD Federation, which is NOT RECOGNIZED BY the BL Foundation. The World JKD federation is a diploma mill, which offers Full instructor certification to those who pay 500 USD, without ever meeting the students! The BL foundation will not vouch for the online certificate activity of WJKD federation. Many Karate Instructors have been certified by the World JKD federation & claim to teach JKD, without any JKD training. They also hold competitions without realizing that Bruce lee was dead against martial tournaments & sport fighting, with major focus only on full contact no holds barred, all our sparring. Check out http://jeetkunedo.org & http://jeetkunedo.org/inslist.htm
WHO CAN THEN TEACH JKD?
Authentic JKD can only be learnt under those who have been issued Full Instructor certifications by the Original students (Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustillo, Ted Wong among few). You may read the article quoted in the website of BL Foundation below to see how to identify an authentic JKD Instructor. http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/index.cfm?pid=10607
So, only those with full Instructor certifications from original students such as Richard Bustillo, Ted Wong & Dan inosanto, can teach JKD. In my approximation there are about 500 JKD Instructors at all levels in the world of which only about 50 hold full Instructor certifications from original students. Only so many in the last 4 decades after Bruce Lees death!
There are martial artists in the world who have trained under Ted Wong/ Inosanto/ Bustillo for a session or two & who claim that they have Instructor Certifications from him (in their websites, there is no display of any Instructor Certificate from ted Wong). There are those who are falsely representing BL Foundation in india and "authorize" Indian martial artists to represent BL Foundation to teach JKD in many countries such as india. Please contact BL Foundation to verify these fradulent claims. http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/
One may even contact, Richard Bustillo, based in LA, USA, who still runs the IMB Academy, the first academy that taught JKD after Bruce Lee died. He was an original student of Bruce Lee who was the first senior JKD Instructor certified by Dan Inosanto. He is in his 60's and is a FBI & LA-County Police Defensive Tactics Instructor. He is a martial arts legend and his seminars are in demand all over the world. At 69 years, he constantly travels world wide spreading the torch of JKD. His fansite is http://bustillojkd.tripod.com where more info can be found about him. He too can verify who is authorized to teach JKD as approved by BL Foundation & who is certified by him. Contact him at www.imbacademy.com
The authorized JKD School in India & Asia is the IMB Academy-India/ Asia chapter, in Mumbai called JKD Ideology. I have personally learnt JKD here under the authentic Instructors, who donot wish their names to be publicized. These Instructors are authorized by Richard Bustillo and are full instructors in JKD. This can be easily verified by contacting IMB Academy or Richard Bustillo himself at www.imbacademy.com He will vouch for the JKD Ideology School in India to be the local IMB chapter under his guidance.
Richard Bustillo frequently travels to india to supervise & train the Indian Bruce Lee fans. His last trip was a low publicized trip to Mumbai in March 2010.
If you have to understand more about JKD, you may visit many websites which offer authentic information on JKD. Yes, there are many which mislead you to believe that they offer authentic BLF endorsed information on JKD, while having nothing to do with BL Foundation, but inserts links to BLF website to convince surfers about its realtion to BLF.
For JKD information in India- Mumbai, you may please refer to http://jeetkunedoindia.tripod.com which is IMB – Asia chapter representing Richard Bustillo, Original student of Bruce lee. This website is close in identifying with the concepts & techniques of Jeet Kune Do.
For training in Jeet Kune Do under the same school, visit www.JKDindia.com or contact info@JKDindia.com or call at 9820496752 to learn the authentic low profile Bruce lees art of Jeet Kune Do in India under authority & supervison of IMB Academy USA President, Richard Bustillo, who has been certified by the great Bruce Lee himself.
I hope I have cleared some misconceptions about JKD in India & helped in preserving the good name of the legendary Bruce Lee for the benefit of his fans in India.
Bruce lee strongly believed that one must tailormake every technique to his individual need, by researching, absorbing the useful & rejecting the limitations. He also devised specific techniques to suit his constitution JFJKD. While we must study his methods, we must also understand his concepts, philosophy & ideologies. These will not only help us in becoming better martial artists and also to become good individuals in arena of life.
I wish you luck in your JKD quest, search & journey. I also urge you to remember that JKD is the journey not the destination. So brothers, In the words of Bruce Lee, Walk On!
About the Author
Ritesh Reddy is a Third generation Instructor, JKD Ideology, India
